


Crush Hour

by whazzername



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, public transit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22742761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whazzername/pseuds/whazzername
Summary: During his morning commute, Lee learns the horrors of public transit delays (and the unlikely benefits).
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Comments: 10
Kudos: 206





	Crush Hour

**Author's Note:**

> This was most definitely not inspired by true events.

“Excuse me! My apologies! Pardon me!”

Lee wove his way through the crowded sidewalk as a throng of morning commuters poured out of the nearby subway station and into the frigid morning air. He had been planning on running to the dojo as usual, but upon waking up to find the streets covered in nearly a foot of snow, he decided to take public transit instead. He wasn’t opposed to running during the winter, he actually found it quite invigorating, but the footing would be unsteady and too slippery to risk when he had a competition coming up that weekend.

Unfortunately, he’d just been approaching the station entrance when he noticed an unusual number of people exiting onto the street, and overheard a man on a cell phone bitterly say the two worst words to hear during rush hour: service suspension.

Lee hadn’t had to deal with subway delays very often, since he typically walked or ran most places, but Tenten always ranted about how horrible they were, and the misery of having to take the crowded shuttle buses that that took over until the issue was resolved.

After being pointed in the right direction, Lee slowly made his way through the crowd, dodging stressed students bemoaning the surge pricing on their ride share apps, frustrated businessmen trying to hail already-occupied cabs, and other confused people looking around uncertainly. A slow crawl of traffic made its way through the nearby intersection, dotted with already packed buses showing Line 3 Shuttle Bus lit up on their route displays. He pulled ahead of the crowd and reached the crosswalk simultaneously as the light turned yellow and an only partially-full bus pulled up across the street. Making a split-second decision, and hoping that Gai-sensei would forgive him for neglecting the law, Lee dashed across the road through the slush, making it onto the bus just as the last passengers stepped on and doors closed behind him.

“Sorry about that!” Lee apologized as he bumped the person in front of him, a young man with deep red hair in a dark grey peacoat. The man glared at him but said nothing, gripping the strap of his messenger bag with one gloved hand and holding onto a nearby pole with the other.

“Please stay behind the yellow line,” The driver announced, forcing Lee to further crowd the man in the peacoat and nearly falling into him as the bus pulled away from the curb.

“Sorry!” Lee apologised again, earning another irritated huff from the stranger. “A bit crowded this morning!” Lee shot him one of his megawatt smiles.

The young man didn’t respond, apparently ignoring him to stare out the window of the slowly moving vehicle. Lee brushed it off, turning his focus to planting his feet as wide as he could manage in the crowd and bending his knees in a loose interpretation of a ready stance as the bus rocked. If he thought of it as training, perhaps the unexpected delay would be worth it after all!

_If I cannot stay balanced without holding on for the entire ride, I will complete 1000 sit-ups to strengthen my core!_

Lee focused on keeping his abdominal muscles tight as he swayed with the movements of the bus. Outside the window, a herd of frustrated people trudged through the deep snow on the sidewalk, apparently having given up on waiting for a shuttle and deciding to walk to their destinations instead.

“Do you know what caused the service delay?” Lee asked, turning to the driver.

“Fire investigation,” The driver drawled. “Probably just litter some idiot couldn’t be bothered to throw away that fell onto the tracks-“ He slammed on the horn and swore as a car cut in front of him.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Lee said under his breath to the man in the peacoat, earning a glance of pale green eyes as the man burrowed deeper into his thick scarf. Lee couldn’t help but notice how the dark colour of it, along with the deep red of his hair highlighted his pale skin. Lee shook himself, attempting to turn his focus back to his new self-rule as the shuttle inched through traffic.

Even though the next subway stop was only a few blocks away, with the extra buses on the road the morning traffic was even worse, and it took nearly ten minutes to get there. A crowd of people was gathered on the sidewalk at the intersection, only partially paying attention to the transit employee trying to direct the mass, and swarming the bus as soon as it pulled to a stop and opened its doors. A few people struggled out the rear doors, but it did little to make room for the number of people trying to get in through the front. Lee tried his best to shuffle in as far as he could, attempting to both let as many people on and avoid crowding the rest of the passengers, but unfortunately it seemed that not all commuters were as concerned with being polite as he was.

“Sorry,” Lee said again as he was pushed flush against the young man next to him by the crowd, red hair tickling Lee’s nose momentarily.

“It’s fine,” He heard the him say lowly, despite the look of discomfort on his face.

The doors to the bus finally closed, and the passengers lurched forward as it pulled back out into traffic. Lee managed to stay centered as the shuttle freed itself of the bottleneck at the station, but noticed the young man quickly grab for a hanging plastic strap now that he was out of reach of a pole to hold onto.

Lee could feel the shift and press of the man’s side against his as the bus rocked, his body heat warm even through the many layers of winter clothing. It was sort of nice, despite the circumstances, being pressed against a handsome stranger, and Lee felt the flush rise to his face at the unhelpful thought.

Neji and Tenten always teased him about how instantaneously he fell for people he barely knew (he didn’t think he’d ever live down his obsession with Sakura in high school), although he hadn’t had much luck in the dating arena. Lately he’d been so focused on his work and training that the only relationships in his life were in the romantic comedies he watched, with their meet cutes and predictably happy endings.

As the bus trudged along, more people seemed to get on at each stop than got off, and Lee appreciated his natural hot-bloodedness that meant he had only needed a light jacket that morning. The combined body heat of too many passengers in their winter coats quickly heated up the vehicle, and the windows soon began to fog. The young man awkwardly removed his gloves while still trying to hold onto the plastic strap, then tugged his scarf off, stuffing both pieces of clothing into his bag and breathing a small sigh of relief.

A welcome rush of cold air swept through the bus when the doors finally opened at the next stop, a common transfer point, which also meant that lots of people were shouldering past each other as they tried to get to the doors. Thankfully Lee’s stance and years of training prevented him from getting pushed around too much, but the man beside him was not so lucky, his slighter stature getting bounced around as people pushed past him from all sides. Lee caught his elbow at one particularly rough shove, righting him and earning a slightly more grateful “Thanks.”

The momentary space gained from passengers getting off was quickly filled with just as many trying to get on, shuffling Lee and the man next to him further into the centre of the bus. Lee noticed the young man looking anxiously around for something to hold on to, the top bar too high to reach, and no poles or straps nearby as the doors finally closed

“You can hold on to me if you would like!” Lee said, holding out his elbow. “I promise I am sturdy!”

“I’m fine-“ The other man began, just as the bus lurched forward and he grabbed onto Lee’s bicep with both hands.

Lee squealed internally at the grip on his arm, fingers digging in as the young man fought to stay balanced with each rock of the bus. In the back of his mind, Lee knew it was just circumstantial that he had a handsome stranger clinging to him (he doubted he would have been as excited if it was an old lady), but he couldn’t help but feel especially gallant, and he doubled down on his self-rule.

_I will ensure he does not fall, or I will do 2000 sit ups!_

The bus slowed to a stop in the traffic between stations, inching forward whenever it could, the momentum of each start and stop bumping passengers against each other. All of the windows were now fogged up, condensation dripping down in rivulets from the moist, stagnant air.

At one point the young man let go of Lee’s arm just long enough to shrug out of his coat, draping it in the crook of his arm as other overheated passengers fanned themselves with newspapers. Lee glanced down and noticed a thin sheen of sweat collecting around the young man’s temples, and at the nape of his neck, the hair there turning dark and sticking to his skin.

Lee had to admit even he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. As warm as it was on the bus, he could still feel the blast of the heaters, which would have been fine on a snowy day like this if there hadn’t been so many people packed into one vehicle. He debated whether he should take off his own jacket or not. He didn’t want to risk the young man falling while he did, but it would make it one less layer between them.

Lee was still daydreaming when felt the grip on his arm start to slacken, and he risked another glance at the man beside him. The man’s pale green eyes were strangely unfocused, his face blank and slack as he stared straight ahead. His already pale skin seemed to have drained even further of colour, and Lee noticed that he was breathing was coming in short, shallow breaths through his mouth.

“Are you alright?” Lee asked, as the hand on his arm loosened even further.

The young man shook his head minutely, and Lee had to duck his head close to hear his soft response.

“I think…I…might pass out.”

Lee’s eyes widened and he quickly slipped his arm under the young man’s, steadying him as he thought quickly.

“Stop the bus!” Lee called, shouldering his way to the front with the young man in tow, no longer caring about being polite.

“Can you let us off here? My friend isn’t feeling well.”

The driver pulled to a stop, a blast of cold air hitting Lee in the face as he stumbled out the door, helping the young man to a nearby bench and sitting him down.

“Put your head between your knees,” Lee insisted, crouching down in front of him. “And take some deep breaths.”

The man slumped forward bonelessly, letting his head fall between his knees and taking a few shaky breaths through his mouth. Lee kept one hand on his forearm, the other taking his wrist and checking his pulse, skin clammy under his fingers. They stayed that way silently for a few minutes, Lee unconsciously rubbing the man’s arm as he crouched before him in the snow.

Finally, just when Lee was thinking that he might need to call someone, he began to feel the beats under his thumb grow stronger and even out, and with a last great exhale, the young man lifted his head and slowly began to sit up.

“Go slow,” Lee said, rustling through his gym bag, and pulling out his water bottle. “Here, have some when you are ready. I have not drunk from it yet.”

The young man took the bottle with a shaking hand, fumbling to unscrew the lid before taking a deep gulp. Some colour had returned to his face, Lee noted, although the dark hollows under his eyes still made his skin look unnaturally pale.

“How are you feeling?” Lee asked, still crouched in front of the young man.

“I think I’ll be okay,” The stranger said, handing Lee back his water bottle.

“Please, have as much as you would like.”

“Sorry about this. There were just so many people and it was so hot.”

“It is no trouble at all. I was starting to get uncomfortable too.”

The man nodded absently, taking another sip of water. He shivered suddenly as the sweat on his skin cooled, and Lee looked around.

“You should probably have something to get your blood sugar up,” He said, noticing a nearby café. “Have you eaten anything today?”

The man shook his head.

“We should remedy that! Do you feel alright to stand?”

The young man slowly rose, and Lee placed a hand under his elbow.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Just in case,” Lee insisted. “Your blood pressure may drop again.”

He steered them towards the café, making sure to take it slow.

“I am Lee, by the way.”

“Gaara.”

In the much more comfortable warmth of the café, Lee sat Gaara at a table by the window before going to investigate the food offerings, returning with a bottle of orange juice and a blueberry muffin for Gaara, and a cup of black coffee for himself.

“Thank you,” Gaara said, taking a sip of juice, his hands still shaking slightly.

“Well this has been quite the morning!” Lee exclaimed.

Gaara huffed. “Yes, not exactly how I was planning to start my day. I hope I’m not going to make you late for work or something.”

“Oh, do not worry! I was going to do a workout before teaching my morning class, but I can do it this afternoon! I would not want to leave you by yourself after such a scare!”

A tinge of pink rose on Gaara’s cheeks as he examined the muffin. “What do you teach?”

“I teach kung fu to a dynamic group of youngsters at the Springtime of Youth Dojo!” Lee exclaimed, raising a fist.

“That sounds…energetic.”

“Yes, it is an excellent way to stay active when I am not training myself!” Lee said, grinning. “Were you on your way to work as well?”

Gaara nodded, then seemed compelled to continue under Lee’s cheerful scrutiny.

“I’m a curator at the botanical gardens.”

“That sounds fascinating!”

“It pays the bills, I guess.”

“Well I hope you will not be too late!”

“It’s fine. The plants aren’t exactly going anywhere.”

Gaara popped another piece of muffin into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

“Thank you for all this. I probably would have collapsed on that couple in front of us if you hadn’t helped me off.”

Lee flushed. “Oh, it was no problem at all! I am just glad you are feeling better!”

He started to reach across the table for Gaara’s hand, but stopped himself.

“Would you mind if I checked your pulse again?”

Gaara nodded, letting Lee take his wrist and press his thumb firmly into the juncture where it met his palm, the gesture feeling suddenly intimate in the quiet warmth of the café. Lee tried to focus on counting Gaara’s heartbeats, but found his own suddenly pounding distractingly.

“Strong and regular!” He finally said, a little too loudly as he reluctantly released Gaara’s hand.

As then finished their drinks, Gaara checked his phone.

“It looks like the delay has cleared. They’ve resumed regular service on Line 3.”

“I suppose we should go then,” Lee said somewhat reluctantly. “Do you feel well enough?”

“Yes, but I don’t really feel like facing public transit again today. Would you like to split a cab? My treat.”

“Thank you, that would be very nice!”

Lee couldn’t help but keep a hand hovering close to Gaara’s lower back as they made their way back into the cold of the street. He was torn whether it would be appropriate or not to ask for Gaara’s number given the circumstances, but it was so rare that Lee felt such a connection with someone. Nonetheless, he refrained, even when they slid into the back seat of a cab that Gaara had hailed, their knees brushing as they settled into their seats.

The driver thankfully knew an alternate route to the still crowded main street, turning through residential side streets, Lee and Gaara suddenly quiet. As they got closer and closer to their destination, Lee wrestled with himself, going back and forth about a way to see Gaara again.

“I am competing in a tournament this weekend!” Lee suddenly exclaimed, as the cab pulled to a stop outside the dojo. “I am not sure if you are busy, but would you like to come?”

There was an agonizing moment where Lee wanted to sink into the ground as Gaara looked at him silently, before he dug into his bag and pulled out a pen. He took Lee’s wrist, and in the same place where Lee had taken his pulse earlier, wrote his phone number.


End file.
